thoughts about marketing sparked by events

04/08/2008

Look Ma, no tip!

5 An intriguing new restaurant called Baggers has opened in Germany. You order your food using a touch screen, the order is picked up and cooked in the kitchen upstairs, then the food is automatically sent to your seat using technology. The presenter makes a big deal about not having to leave a tip, even though on continental Europe it is not the custom to leave a tip.

What it doesn't show is how the mess left by the diners is cleared. The idea has novelty but does it have longetivity?

Perhaps a better example of how to innovate in the restaurant business is Benihana. The marketing for the chain calls it luxury dining. Well, if you haven't been, here is what happens. You arrive, and they stack you in in the bar until a full table has been assembled from arrivals. Then you get to share a table with a group of strangers. Benihana make it attractive by creating a show with a chef while your fast food is cooked and delivered across the griddle to your plate. Then once the show is over and you have your food, the chef cleans up and leaves. This helps to push you out the door so they can do it all over again. If the preceding paragraph makes you think me unduly negative, then try it for yourself. It is a great entertainment concept with a bit of easy to prepare, fast food attached, at premium prices.

My quibble is with the positioning. Just don't believe either of them when they tell you that they offer luxury dining. They are good entertainment experiences with food attached. Why mess with that?